Any Other Day
by Kyyrin
Summary: Is he too shy? Too polite? Will her feelings of guilt distance her from him? A fic set during Vincent's time as Lucrecia's bodyguard. Sweet and romantic. The name of this story has been changed, reasons are inside. Enjoy!
1. Duty

Hey guys! I'm back! (that was quick, I know). I've decided to dig up some stuff on my laptop and post it till I've finished the first few chapters of the...duh duh duuuuh...sequel to Treading the Edge. And since that might be a while (I've lent my Dirge to someone else now, and they happen to live 50km away from me), I'll just post anything I deem worthy for now. To keep you guys occupied...and myself. As if you guys didn't have anything better to do (laughs).

So this one's a Vincent/Lucrecia I've started on. It's a few chapters long, but not finished yet. Whether I finish it or not will entirely depend on the response I get from you readers. It's sweet, and it's a 'Vincent's past' fic, so your're gonna be reading Turk Vincent here.

So enjoy that.

I've also got some Vincent/Tifa's, Reeve/Shalua's, and a Vincent/ Aeris ( --don't ask me why), on my laptop as well, so if you guys are interested, I can post those too. I kinda started writing long before I started posting, so there's this huge mountain of fics just sitting there idly.

Well, I'll be off, so tell me what you think of this one.

Cheers!

Kyyrin

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**_Any Other Day_**

**Chapter One**

Vincent Valentine was sick.

And as much as he hated to admit it, he felt like shit.

He had gotten up at 9am, and hour ago, late for work for the first time in his life. He'd been horrified upon realizing it. What kind of a bodyguard could he be for Lucre-----, Dr. Crescent, if he came to work late?

He hightailed it through the winding hallways of the Shinra Manor, towards Dr. Crescent's lab to report for duty, having to stop every few minutes to succumb to a coughing fit.

To be quite honest with himself, he was surprised he could actually walk, let alone run in the condition he was in. He'd spent most of the night tossing and turning, then waking up, breathless from a nightmare.

Screeching to a halt in front of the lab door, he stopped to catch his breath, which was coming out in wheezy gasps. He took a few minutes to straighten up. Eyeing himself in one of the many mirrors that adorned the walls of the Shinra Manor, he realized just how awful he looked.

He hadn't combed his hair, so it was plastered to his face with sweat from the sprint, and with the fever he had no doubt he was running. His nose was beet red, and he realized that he'd forgotten his handkerchief. He was extremely pale with dark circles under his eyes, although his cheeks were flushed red, also, no doubt, from the fever.

He stared at himself mournfully, feeling as ill as he looked.

But with a few well-played excuses, he could bypass any of Dr. Crescents concerns. It wouldn't do to take days off. With the Doctor hard at work on her latest set of experiments, and him being the only trained Shinra member there to protect her at the moment, his health would have to wait.

"Buck up, Valentine", he thought to himself. "Show Lucrec-----, Dr. Crescent, that you're a man, for crying out loud. You're not going to let some god-forsaken illness take you down, are you?"

Finishing his inner monologue, and hoping that he looked as respectable as possible in the state he was in, Vincent knocked on the door.

"Come in!", came the usual enthusiastic reply, with a " and you don't have to knock, Vincent!", hung onto the end.

Vincent sighed. He'd live through the day. It was only what…12, no, 13 hours? Damn…He entered the room quickly before he was tempted to reconsider his decision to come to work and crawl back into bed. If he did the latter, he'd probably never hear the end of it from Hojo. Not to mention he would have failed Lucrecia.

His brain had now obviously given up trying it's best to remember to call her Dr. Crescent. Besides that, she had told him early on that he could call her Lucrecia, but his polite nature, and knowledge of manners forced him to call her by her professional title.

Dr. Lucrecia Crescent stood at her desk, greeting him with a dazzling, warm smile. He felt a blush rise to his cheeks. Sweet Shiva was she beautiful.

"Erm……Good Morning. I greatly apologize for the lateness", he said hoarsely.

"I don't mind! I'm so glad to see you! I was starting to get worried! You were over an hour late. But I'm fine, as you see…". She trailed off into her morning babbling.

Vincent took this opportunity to cough harshly, but softly into his hand, and squeeze his aching eyes shut, which had been pierced by the bright lights in the room. They weren't doing anything for his massive and still growing headache.

Lucrecia paused in her dialogue to look at him.

"Vincent? Are you alright?"

His eyes snapped open, and focused on her blearily.

"What? Yes I'm fine! Why do you ask?". The question came out of his mouth without a thought, and he wished it hadn't.

Lucrecia took that opportunity to come closer to him and look him over thoroughly, and gasped at what she saw.

"Dear Planet, Vincent! You look……you look like………hell!"

Vincent couldn't help it. Despite his distress, he gave a snort of laughter. He had never heard Lucrecia swear before. But what she said was true. He supposed he did look like hell.

"What's so funny?", she demanded, trying to keep a straight face.

"It's……nothing really," Vincent managed between painful, wheezy laughs. "I've just never heard you say that word before!"

"What word?" She looked confused.

"Hell……..", Vincent stuttered. "You've never cursed around me."

She giggled, a sound that was music to Vincent's ears.

"You've never given me a reason to", came the amused reply.

But her expression quickly sobered as she took in Vincent's sickly pale face, and exhausted features.

"Besides, I only swear in serious situations, Vincent. And this seems serious. You look awful! Are you sick?", she persisted, trying to pry it out of him.

Her concern sent his emotions spiraling, but he contained himself. At first he avoided her eyes, but then he decided it would be best not to blow his cover.

He made eye contact with her and said, "I'm fine. There's no need to worry. I just didn't sleep very well last night, that's all."

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say.

"Didn't sleep well? Well then maybe you should go back to bed! You need your rest! I'll be fine here on my own-------"

He cut her off.

"I assure you I'm well. Please don't worry."

"Well, are you sure? Because-----"

"Yes I'm sure. Please…I'm fine".

Vincent felt more than a little horrible about lying to her, but it was the only way he could lay the subject to rest and put her at ease, even as ill as he felt.

"Well, alright. But be sure to tell me if anything's wrong," she said with a smile that made Vincent's heart melt. " You are my bodyguard, after all. Always here for me. So I'm always happy when I can do something for you in return. I'll be here for you too if you need me."

"_I'll be here for you too if you need me."_

Those words meant the world to Vincent. But he wouldn't let them in too deep. Telling her he was sick would just cause unnecessary complications and perhaps result in difficulties for her. And it was his job to protect her from difficulties. So he would do just that.

The day continued on in it's normal routine, but today that meant torture for Vincent. He had a larger than normal amount of paperwork today, which was part of his duties as a Turk, as well as something to keep him occupied while Lucrecia was hard at work. Hojo had been kind enough not to give permission for the installation of neither heater nor air conditioner in the office he inhabited, which was basically a tiny room connected to Lucrecia's lab.

This fact, combined with the effects his fever was having on him, was murder on this freezing cold winter day. He constantly either shivered mercilessly as if he were standing in the blizzard that was raging outside, or sweated profusely to the point of wanting to strip right then and there.

Not to mention the constant coughing and sneezing he tried his hardest to keep to a minimum so that it wouldn't disturb Lucrecia. Most of the time it proved challenging, but, as he often cautiously peered through the window into her lab, he could see she was to caught up in her work to have heard anything.

He had managed to make an excuse to skip lunch by saying he'd had a large breakfast, when actually he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon and was still completely devoid of appetite.

That evening he sighed with relief as he saw the clock strike 8:30pm. Only another half hour to pull through. His flu had become increasingly worse throughout the day, and he would be happy to just throw himself into bed and sleep.

He was startled out of his reverie when the door slammed open to reveal none other than the lord of hell in person. Hojo.

He sighed wearily. What now?

"Valentine! 10pm tonight, Dr. Crescent has requested to work alone on a trial experiment on the plains not far from here", he stopped shortly realizing that Vincent was exhausted, and smirking at the fact that he was going to rob him of precious time to rest.

"You are to accompany her as her bodyguard for the entire length of the excursion. And see to it that no harm comes to her, as well as any of the equipment. Do you understand me, boy?", Hojo asked, with a disgusting grin on his face. He was enjoying this torment.

Vincent knew that there was no point in arguing. After all it was his job to protect Lucrecia.

"Understood…Doctor", he muttered wearily, too tired and aching to give a salute.

"Excellent", Hojo crooned, cackling maliciously. He left, but not before slamming the door behind him shut with such force, Vincent felt his head would explode.

He leaned back in his chair and moaned. Considering his current state, and the fact that there was fresh snow and a freezing wind blowing outside, this was going to be a long night.

Twenty minutes later he had finished off the last of the paperwork in his cramped office, and had collapsed on his bed, pausing only shortly to set his alarm clock to 8:45pm, forty-five minutes away. Too exhausted to undress, he felt his eyelids grow heavy and shut.

An hour later, Vincent awoke to the frantic beeping of his alarm. He stared blearily up at the clock and was suddenly wide-awake when he saw what time it was.

"Shit!?!", he swore and bolted upright.

It was already 9pm. He must have slept through the alarm.

But the damage was done. He was mortified at the thought that he had never been late in his life, and today he had managed it twice in a row.

He stood quickly, but just as quickly found out it had been a mistake.

The world tipped and twisted before his eyes. He was dizzy beyond belief. Not too mention hot and cold at the same time. He grabbed the bedpost for support until the spinning stopped. Squeezing his eyes shut, he let out a sigh of frustration.

This was going to be rough.

He straightened himself up and walked slowly to the bathroom. Splashing some cold water on his face, combing through his hair, and smoothing out his suit didn't help his appearance much, but it was better than nothing.

He paused on his way out only to grab his winter jacket, guns, and materia.

As soon as he felt fit enough to run again, he raced to the entrance of the manor.

There he met the gazes of a worried looking Lucrecia, and an ill-tempered Hojo.

"I…I'm sorry. Excuse my lateness", he managed to croak, through his extremely sore throat.

"Excuse? Valentine! How could you possibly allow yourself to be late for such an important excursion?? You're hopeless!"

Lucrecia opened her mouth to argue but Hojo cut her off.

"Beginning tomorrow, you can get up at four am and start guard duty outside the manor at five. You know how pesky some of those monsters can get in the winter…." Hojo grinned deviously.

Vincent grimaced. Just what he needed. More sleep deprivation along with nasty creatures.

Lucrecia intervened.

"Doctor, please. I'm sure Vincent didn't mean too! He must have had a very good reason. He said he slept poorly last night. Can't you oversee a mistake just once?", she pleaded.

"Slept poorly, you say", Hojo said thoughtfully. "Well…I say TOUGH LUCK."

Lucrecia flinched.

"Since he'll be getting up early every morning from now on, he should get used to less sleep", Hojo exclaimed in twisted glee.

"But----"

This time Vincent intervened.

"No. It's all right, Dr. Crescent. I deserve this punishment. It was irresponsible to be late. My apologies." He bowed his head slightly.

Lucrecia sighed softly, frowning slightly. "Well then, let's go."

"Mhmm…"

Vincent hoisted the heavy equipment, even though his aching bones screamed in protest, and followed Lucrecia outside.

Hojo eyed them both menacingly as they walked out the door, and continued to watch them until they had disappeared around the bend in the road.

With a cruel smile on his thin lips, he shut the manor doors.

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I've said it once, and I will say it again. I.hate.Hojo. So expect a lot of Hojo-bashing in my fics. Cheers! 


	2. Moonlight

Greetings to all, and a question. Does anyone know a good website that has an accurate Englsih script of DoC? I've decided that I'm too bored out of mind to wait for my friend to return the game, so if anyone has any ideas of wher I can find the script, it would be much appriciated.

Thanks for all the reviews, and I'll try to get the first chapter of the sequel up soon.

Cheers!

Kyyrin

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**Chapter Two**

The pair rounded the bend and walked briskly for about a half hour in silence. Vincent, all the while wiping his nose with the back of his hand, as he had again forgotten his handkerchief in his rush.

They made their way up a short, but grueling mountain path, came to the high lying plains, and started to make their way to the middle of the vast fields.

Even Vincent noticed through all his discomforts, that it was a beautiful night. The sky was now clear, so that all the stars and the large moon were perfectly visible. The fresh fallen snow sparkled in the moonlight, as did Lucrecia's beautiful eyes.

He started. What was he thinking? She was way out of his league. She was a gorgeous, talented individual, while he was……well…….him. A shy, boring man with a profession that already had a terrible reputation.

As they reached the middle of the plains, the wind blew colder than before, and Vincent, who was soaked with sweat, shivered violently. But seeing that Lucrecia had nothing other than a thin cardigan and her lab coat on, he knew, sick or not, that it was his duty to be the gentleman.

He set down the equipment, removed his jacket and draped it over Lucrecia's shoulders.

This resulted in a reaction from her that he did not expect.

Lucrecia rounded on him with a fierce look in her eyes.

"Vincent Valentine, would you care to stop being the gentleman long enough to tell me what's going on?", she demanded angrily.

Vincent flinched. Lucrecia had never spoken to him in a tone like this before. It made him feel very, very ashamed. He hung his head.

Her voice took on her familiar soft tone again as she faced him.

"Ifrits Bane, I'm worried sick about you, Vincent. You've been here long enough to know better than to ignore a direct order from Hojo! Not to mention that you were already late to report for duties this morning. I dismissed those occasions, but it's just not like you! In all the months you've been assigned as my bodyguard you haven't been late once, and now you've managed it twice in one day?"

Vincent cringed inwardly. Damn. She had noticed. He had never thought that she kept track of the fact that he was always on time. She was obviously more perceptive than he gave her credit for.

"Please, Vincent! You can trust me! I really did mean it when I told you I'd be here for you if you needed me."

"I'm fine…", he muttered, not sounding anywhere near as convincing as before.

"Vincent Valentine, stop LYING to me!"

The sentence made his head snap up and stare at her in astonishment. Since when had she been able to read him like a book?

"Dr. Crescent, I------," he began, but Lucrecia cut him off.

"And just how many times have I told you to call me Lucrecia? I thought we were friends, Vincent!", she stared at him with that fiery gaze that made her so beautiful.

"I…", he stopped short. There was no point in lying anymore. And he did consider her a good friend, after all……perhaps someday even more than that. He shook himself.

"Alright….I'm sorry…Lucrecia."

"Good! But it would be better if you stopped apologizing so much!"

He avoided her gaze.

"Now tell me what's wrong…", she probed gently.

She looked up at him, waiting patiently for an answer.

He sighed, and decided to just spit out the truth before things got any more out of hand.

"I…well…erm….I'm not…feeling very well", he finished awkwardly. Wow. Good one, Valentine, he thought sarcastically. You sounded real intelligent there.

The fire in Lucrecia's eyes died immediately, and was replaced by a look of concern.

Before Vincent knew what was happening, she was standing inches away from his face, and had placed one of her soft hands on his forehead. He pulled back slightly at what seemed like an icy cold touch.

Lucrecia quickly snatched her hand back and look at him with a mixed expression of concern and disbelief.

"Vincent, you're burning up!", she stated frantically. "Why for the love of the Planet didn't you say something?"

Vincent opened his mouth to reply, but a harsh sneeze came out instead, and he quickly managed to cover his mouth with his hand, rubbing his nose afterwards.

"Bless you. How long have you been ill?", she asked in a tone that made bite back any lie he would have tried.

"I…since yesterday", he muttered resignedly, now having decided to just answer every question she fired at him with utmost honesty.

"And you came to work anyways? Vincent that is, besides being completely irresponsible, also childish! You're a grown man, and should be able to take care of yourself! Not to mention that you are now standing here in the freezing cold without a jacket on! How could you have let this get so out of hand?", she admonished kindly, but firmly.

"And don't say you're sorry, because I already know you are. Just because you're my bodyguard, doesn't mean you have to put your health on the line. How can you protect me properly in this condition?"

He didn't say anything. He had absolutely no idea what to say. He stared at the ground.

So he settled for trying to stem the flow of his running nose with his shirtsleeve.

Then he heard it. It was the most beautiful sound in the world. Lucrecia started to laugh.

It started as a giggle, but then turned into full-blown laughter.

He stared at her bug eyed. How could his misery be so hilarious?

She laughed for a few more minutes before pulling out a handkerchief, taking his hand, and pushing the cloth into it.

"Mr. Valentine, you really do act like a child", she stated, still giggling softly. And then more somberly, "You really have no idea of how to care for yourself in a situation like this."

He looked at the handkerchief in his hand, and dropped all his barriers. He knew she was right. He had never really been sick enough to require any kind of care, except for one embarrassing situation. Let alone having someone there who gave a damn about him. Being cared for was something he hadn't known since his parents had been alive. And that had been many years ago. Being a Turk meant no time for illness. You either sucked it up, or quit. He had always done the former.

Exhausted beyond belief and past the point of caring if it began to show, he dabbed his nose with the cloth and ran a hand through his hair, squeezing his eyes shut to try and wake himself up.

He slowly opened them again as he felt warmth on his shoulders. He turned to see Lucrecia draping his jacket over him.

"Come on, Vincent. We're going back to the manor," she said with him a look that told him she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"But, Dr.------, Lucrecia. Your experiments…and……Dr. Hojo….." he trailed off, seeing the look on her face.

"My experiments can wait, and I'll take care of Hojo. Your health is more important right now. Let's go."

"But the equipment…" he made a move to pick it up. Bad idea.

The dizziness returned with a vengeance, and this time he couldn't stay upright. Lucrecia caught him before he collapsed to the ground. He looked up at her, and could make out the worry that was evident on her face, though his vision was swimming.

"Vincent?" came her concerned voice. It seemed far away.

"…….dizzy……", he muttered.

"**Vincent!!!**" came her worried cry before he lost consciousness.

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Short chapter. I know. I also just noticed that I use really mean cliffhangers...heh, well can't be helped. Cheers! 


	3. Verdict

There you go, ladies and gents. Two chapters up in one day to compensate for the shortness. The next one will be quite a bit longer. I give you my word.

Cheers!

Kyyrin

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**Chapter Three**

Vincent awoke slowly, feeling uncomfortably warm.

Weakly, he opened his eyes in an attempt to survey his surroundings. Still slightly dizzy, he blinked a few times to clear his vision. He was in bed, in his room, with his pajamas on. Before he even had a chance to wonder how he got there, he heard voices in the hall outside his room.

"The boy failed again?!? What was President Shinra thinking when he sent such an invalid to work for me?", came Hojo's high-pitched, nasal voice.

"Doctor, may I remind you that he is not here for you, but for myself?"

Lucrecia.

"He's merely over-worked, sleep-deprived, and as a result, ill. Give him a few days off and he should be fine! Please!", she pleaded.

"I'll have none of that, Lucrecia. He still needs to be up in fifteen minutes to patrol the manor grounds. Sick or not."

"Doctor!" Lucrecia's voice was now trembling. "Can't you see that you're sending him to catch his death out there? He's already ill, and if he goes out in the cold, he might……..die! He's done nothing to deserve that sort of punishment! Would you kill an innocent human being?"

Hojo didn't answer.

Lucrecia went on.

"If you want to punish someone, punish me for failing to notice that he wasn't feeling well, and not forcing him to stay in bed."

For this, Hojo had an answer.

"Hmmmm. Maybe I should think up a punishment for you. You did, after all, leave all that expensive equipment on the plains just to drag that useless Turk back here. I can only hope that the search group I sent out returns with at least half of it working condition."

Vincent's eyes widened. Lucrecia had brought him back here? And left all that near to priceless equipment standing on the field?

His thoughts were interrupted as Hojo spoke again.

"I have it! The perfect punishment for a passionate scientist like yourself. You are now bound to care for the Turk until he is well enough to take up his duties again. That means no experiments, and therefore, no work."

Vincent heard Lucrecia give a small gasp.

"B-but, Doctor! Don't you need me to help yo-------"

"Silence, girl. I can get along fine on my own for a while. Besides, this will teach both of you to follow orders next time. Good day, Dr. Crescent. And don't even think about showing your face in the labs until the rat is fully recovered."

He heard Hojo walk away, snickering.

Suddenly Lucrecia called out, "Doctor? Does that mean Vincent won't have to exterminate monsters until he's well either?"

Hojo gave a sigh of frustration. "He'd better be at least partially fit for duty again in a week."

And with that, Hojo was gone, slamming the hallway door behind him.

Vincent heard Lucrecia let out a small sigh of relief.

A period of silence followed. And then, Vincent heard a small sob come from the hallway. Fury built up within him.

Hojo. That bastard had made Lucrecia cry. It was foreign to him, but he knew she needed to be comforted. He owed it to her.

He sat up slowly, so as not to provoke the dizziness into coming back, and realized, much to his dismay, that he felt worse than yesterday morning.

Along with the runny nose, sneezes, coughing, and horribly sore throat, he'd now acquired a headache worse than it had previously been. His head felt heavy and thick, and pounded mercilessly. Not to mention that the uncomfortable feeling of being hot and cold at the same time had profoundly escalated. He wondered fleetingly how high his fever was.

He bit his lip and stepped onto the cool floor, which made him shiver. As he put on his slippers he noticed a glass of water, some cough syrup and a pile of handkerchiefs had been placed on his night table. A small smile touched his lips. Lucrecia must really be worried.

He stood, but this time took it easy, remembering what happened when he last made sudden movements. Walking slowly to the door, he placed his hand on the knob, turning it only when he heard more quiet sobs from outside.

Opening the door, Vincent peered into the hallway. The sight that met his eyes almost broke his heart. Lucrecia was sitting across the hall, slumped, sitting with her back against the wall, shuddering with sobs.

"H-How could he b-be s-so cruel", she sobbed uncontrollably. "It's s-so unf-fair of him…"

Vincent winched. The one thing he hated above all else was seeing her cry. And it was his fault that she was in this dilemma. He was sick, and because of the trouble he'd caused, she was paying the price for it. His heart sank. The only thing he could do now was apologize, comfort her as best he could, and tell her he would speak with Hojo and commence his duties in an hour.

He walked across the hall slowly, and knelt down beside her. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he prepared to speak.

"Lucrecia, I'm sorry……", he began. But his voice was so hoarse, and his throat so sore, that the apology trailed off as barely a whisper.

She raised her head and looked at him, her eyes red and puffy from crying. But now they also had the telltale signs of anger and frustration flashing in them.

"Sorry? You're **sorry**?? What did I tell you about apologizing, Vincent? You don't need to apologize! You could perhaps say 'thank you', or 'I appreciate your concern", but I guess such phrases haven't crossed your mind!"

She stopped short, staring at him in horror. She couldn't believe what she had just said. She had absolutely no right let her anger and frustration out on him, of all people.

She immediately felt horrible as an extremely hurt expression crossed his face, and it was clear to her how deeply she had wounded him. She had no right to say something like that to anyone, especially not to a person who was devoting the majority of his precious time to her.

"Vincent, I-----"

"No, it's alright", he cut in. "I understand how you feel. I'll go speak to Dr. Hojo and report for duty in an hour", he said stiffly. Rising quickly, he made to move back to his room. That was a mistake.

Vincent felt the dizziness overpower him again. If he hadn't had an abominably empty stomach, he probably would have emptied its contents onto the hallway floor.

He couldn't see straight. He couldn't see at all.

Lucrecia's eyes widened in fear as she saw Vincent fighting just to retain consciousness. She leaped up and caught him before he fell face first onto the floor. As she sat there, cradling his head in her arms, the tears began to flow again. She felt so guilty. Stroking the sweat-matted hair off his burning forehead, she wiped away her tears.

It wouldn't do to sit here and cry when Vincent needed tending to. She gently hoisted his arm over her shoulders, and used every ounce of her strength to lift him up. Slowly but surely she managed to carry him to his bed and lay him down. She went and wet a cloth with ice-cold water, and, placing it on his forehead, she covered him with his thick blanket.

She sat on the edge of his bed and watched as he slowly regained consciousness. He moaned softly, and stared up at her, a little confused.

"Vincent?", she spoke gently, stroking his hair. "I think it's my turn to apologize. It was wrong of me to lash out at you for something as petty as that. I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Vincent stared, not even bothering to hide his surprise.

"What?…But…Of course I forgive you. But it's not your fault!", he whispered painfully. "I should have recognized my weakness, and at least have taken the day off. I guess I was too caught up in my job…"

Lucrecia laughed. "Well, before we start arguing over whose fault it is, let's just settle on the fact that we both made mistakes. That way we'll be even. I'll think positively!", she forced a smile. "I guess Hojo just indirectly told me that I have a week of vacation!"

"All right…", Vincent murmured, but his words caught. He winced at the pain, weakly clasping his throat.

"Oh Planet, Vincent. Does it hurt that much?" Lucrecia inquired with concern. "Here".

She picked up the cough syrup he had seen earlier from his night table.

"Take some of this. It'll help your throat as well as your cough. Can you sit up?"

He didn't think he could, but didn't dare ask for assistance either. He managed to sit up half way, before his hand flew to his head and he began to feel dizzy again. Lucrecia noticed, and wrapped an arm around his waist, gently pulling him up and leaning him against the backboard of his bed. He closed his eyes in an attempt to fight the overwhelming urge to throw up.

Lucrecia eyed him exasperatedly, before forcing a spoonful of the medicine into his mouth.. "Vincent, you have to learn to ask for help. You look like you might be sick any second. Should I get you a------------".

"No!", he said harsher than he meant too. "I mean, no thank you. I just feel nauseous." He paused. He knew that there was nothing in his stomach to throw up. He hadn't eaten since the day before yesterday. And even then, it had only been an apple.

Lucrecia frowned slightly. "I'm a bit worried about your dizzy spells. I don't think they're from the fever. Are you drinking enough?"

"Yes". It wasn't a lie. He'd been drinking massive amounts of water because his throat had been so sore and dry.

"Hmmmm. All right, then what have you had to eat lately, other than that big breakfast of yours yesterday?", she asked peering at him with those beautiful, twinkling brown eyes he had grown to love so much.

Sighing, he realized he couldn't lie again. He already felt guilty that he had lied to her about the breakfast and he knew from past experiences that lying didn't get him anywhere with Lucrecia.

"I….", he paused. "I haven't really eaten……anything at all lately."

Lucrecia's shock was evident.

"W-What? Well when was the last time you ate? I mean breakfast isn't enough to keep a grown man going all day…….."

"I…um….Lucrecia?"

"Yes?"

He inhaled as deeply as he could through his plugged up nose. He hated to admit that he had lied as much as he hated lying in itself.

"I….I didn't eat breakfast yesterday. I lied, and I'm sorry. I just…..haven't been hungry lately. The last real meal I had was dinner about two days ago", he managed, feeling worse by the second.

Lucrecia looked at him, her mouth hanging slightly open.

And then, she did something that Vincent would have never expected.

She got up without a word, and left.

* * *

The next, longer chapter should be up by tommorow. Cya all around! 


	4. Past

So. Back with another chapter, this time more lengthy. And I just realized that I **have** forgotten somethhing important.

Disclaimer...god, I hate these things.

Alright, so I disclaim Vincent (regretfully), Lucrecia, Hojo (not regretfully), Grimoire, and anyone else that belongs to Square. All of the infos on Omega and Chaos that I've taken come directly from the game dialogue. Ok, from internet sites with the script posted. I still don't have my Dirge back. Blast. Now I don't have to recognize the internet sites, do I?

Well, moving on.

Concerning the sequel to Treading the Edge, I'm swaying between beginning the story in Shinra Manor, and between starting it a bit before the second attack on the WRO Headquarters. Any ideas, guys?

And thanks for the attempted link, Bjanik, but it didn't show up either. But at least the thought was there (smile).

Enjoy, and Cheers!

Kyyrin

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Four**

Vincent sat there stunned.

Not only had he lied to her, but now she hated him for it.

He felt his heart shatter into a thousand pieces. It hurt.

But he wouldn't wallow in his misery for long. At least not now. He assumed Lucrecia would not come back, but that didn't change the fact that she wasn't allowed in her lab. He forced himself to sit on the edge of his bed. Now he had no choice but to pay Hojo a visit, convince him to give Lucrecia her lab privileges back, and go out on his morning guard duty.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw half of a power bar that he had started snacking on a few days earlier. Hungry or not, he grabbed it, wolfed it down (cringing as it slid down his sore throat), and hoped it would help keep away the dizziness.

He stood carefully, and made his way to the closet. Fishing out a freshly washed Turk suit, a pair of winter boots, a warm coat, a pair of leather gloves, and a woolen scarf, he cursed himself for not bringing a toque.

He proceeded to dress, all the while making sure he didn't make any sudden moves.

Moving to the bathroom, he washed his face, combed his hair, and drank a glass of water, silently thanking the Planet that his dizziness had lessened.

He shivered. Just the thought of going out into the cold made him feel uncomfortable. This time, he stuffed two handkerchiefs into his jacket pocket, and proceeded to stick his guns into their holsters.

Opening his bedroom door and locking it behind him, he walked down the hall swiftly. He made his way into the foyer, and decided he would take his patrolling shift first, and then talk to Hojo. Save the best for last, after all, he thought sarcastically. Perhaps if Hojo saw him patrolling the grounds, he would be more inclined to forgive Lucrecia and let her back into her lab.

Walking down the stairs, towards the front door, he stifled a few sneezes into his handkerchief. In the state he was in, he wondered if he could even deal with monsters, should the need arise.

He opened the door and nearly yelped as a blast of frozen air hit him full force. But he pulled himself together and stepped outside.

Halfway out the door, however, he heard a voice that made him freeze on the spot.

"Vincent Valentine, where on earth do you think you're going?"

He turned around carefully and stared.

Lucrecia?

She stood there, holding a tablet with a steaming bowl of something, a mug, a glass of orange juice, and two pills, not to mention looking at him as if he had gone insane.

He found no words. He simply stared at her. He'd expected she'd be furious with him for lying to her and getting her into trouble. But there she stood, looking at him admonishingly, and waiting for an answer.

It took him a while to formulate one. And when he had, it came out rather awkwardly.

"I……….thought you were……angry with me…….I thought….maybe if I went patrolling it would convince Hojo to give you back permission to work again", he stammered, unsure of what to say.

"Vincent……….oh dear……I'm not angry at you!" She set down the tablet on a nearby table, and walked over to him, still standing in the doorway in the biting cold.

She walked around him and pulled the door shut, to keep the freezing temperatures from making the man sicker than he already was.

Vincent's crimson eyes followed her as she placed herself in front of him. So close, they were almost touching.

"Vincent, you need to stop taking things so personally!", she reprimanded. "I mean look at you! Have you gone mad? A few minutes out in that blizzard and you would surely catch your death, if you haven't already! You look horrible! Haven't you noticed that yet? You need nothing more than loving care and bed rest to get well, and I'm willing to give those things to you!"

The speech left Vincent reeling. Loving care? Did she really care that deeply for him? He had never been loved unconditionally before, except by his parents. And they were long since dead.

But still, he had hurt her, and he deserved to pay the price for it.

Turning back towards the door with his hand poised over the doorknob, he muttered, "There's no need to worry, really………"

But she wouldn't have any of that.

Grabbing his arm, she pulled him to face her. And he did, with a very shocked expression on his face.

"I don't think so, Mr. Valentine", she said commandingly. "Not this time. I'm fed up with you playing the gentleman! You're coming upstairs and back to bed now, or else I'll knock you out and drag you there myself!" She glared at him fiercely, tightening her grip on his arm and pulling him farther into the entrance hall of the manor.

He tried to protest, but that only intensified her fierce gaze.

Seeing that this wasn't going anywhere, Lucrecia knew that she had to try a different approach. It was a bit below the belt, but Vincent meant too much to her for her to even care.

She grabbed Vincent's hand in both of hers, and knelt down on the floor in front of him.

"Please, Vincent", she begged, tears starting to form in her eyes. At this point, even she couldn't tell if they were real or not. She had meant for them to be fake, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Just go back to bed and get well! I'd never forgive myself if you died. Please! I'm begging you!" Tears began cascading down her face. And now, she knew they were real.

This had the exact result she had hoped for.

Vincent's expression changed from that shock, to one of horror.

Lucrecia knew from experience, and from her over time acquired ability to read Vincent like a book, that the one thing he hated seeing most were her tears, not to mention seeing her beg him for something on her knees.

He almost immediately responded.

"I-I didn't know my health meant so much to you. Forgive me for worrying you. I'll go back to bed."

Lucrecia let out a sigh of relief, and the tears slowly stopped flowing. She stood, grasping the hand Vincent offered to help her up. She brushed away the last of the wetness from her eyes, and smiled brightly at him.

"You go on ahead. I'll bring the tablet. Can you manage that?"

He gave a short nod and started up the stairs.

She took the tablet and followed him. Their pace was slow, because the exertion was now ultimately taking a toll on Vincent's body. He leaned onto the bedroom door, slouching as he fumbled for the keys. Finally managing to find the right one and locate the keyhole.

He unlocked the door, opened it and stumbled into the room, practically falling face first onto his bed.

Lucrecia giggled at the sight. The poor man was so helpless when he was ill.

All but collapsing on the bed, and felt soft material being thrown at him.

"Strip!", he heard Lucrecia command from across his room.

Vincent stared in her general direction, shocked and gaping. Had he just correctly understood that? Strip?? Right there in front of her???

Lucrecia started to giggle at the look on his face.

"I'll turn around of course," continued Lucrecia's amused voice. "I'm hoping you can at least get into your pajamas by yourself. Or do I have to change your clothes for you again?…….." Another giggle followed.

She glanced back at Vincent, who was still sitting there with his mouth hanging wide open.

"Come on! Are you just gonna sit there all day?", she inquired between giggles.

This comment seemed to snap Vincent out of his shocked trance and he blushed a shade of crimson nearly as red as his eyes. He realized that it had been Lucrecia who had changed him into his pajamas after she had dragged him back.

Lucrecia turned around while he changed, still chortling softly, hoping she hadn't embarrassed the man too much.

"I'm….finished", he murmured sleepily, as he crawled underneath the still warm covers.

She walked over to his bedside, bringing the tablet with her and settling it on her lap after she had pulled up a chair.

She laid a hand on Vincent's brow, frowning at the fact that his fever was still running high. How he had even managed to get out of bed in his condition was mind-boggling.

It showed that he was careless, yes, but also strong.

"Have enough strength to eat something?" she asked smiling.

Vincent stirred, and moved himself up against the headboard with her help.

He looked at the bowl.

"What is it?" He inquired, a hint of curiosity evident in his voice.

"Oatmeal with apples and cinnamon", she announced happily. "It'll go easy on your throat."

He looked at her skeptically.

"Oatmeal in the dead of night?"

"Dead of night? Vincent, it's six in the morning. It's practically breakfast time!"

She sighed and smiled.

"Now. Do I have to feed you, or can you eat it by yourself?"

Blushing another shade of crimson, Vincent clumsily took the bowl off the tablet, and proceeded to spoon the oatmeal into his mouth.

A bit of his appetite returned, and he started to realize just how hungry he was.

When he was done, Lucrecia pushed the mug into his hands.

"It's Chamomile tea with lemon and honey", she stated. "It'll help you feel better. I promise."

Vincent took the mug in his hands, sniffed it, raised an eyebrow and started to drink.

The oatmeal had done wonders for his dizziness. It was now nearly nonexistent. It began to dawn on him that maybe his dizzy spells had been due to the fact that he had eaten next to nothing in the last two and a half days.

Lastly, Lucrecia handed him the cup of orange juice and the two pills.

"Drink up. The pills are for the headache I'm sure you have, and for your fever. They'll also help you sleep better."

Vincent did as he was told, and then laid back down onto the pillows, lifting a hand to his face and rubbing his eyes.

"Thank you, Lucrecia……..but you shouldn't……", he trailed off softly, feeling more exhausted by the minute.

"Shhhhhh…….you're very welcome. Anytime…….Don't fight it now. Go to sleep and get better", was Lucrecia's soothing reply.

He was asleep before she finished the sentence.

She pulled the covers up under his chin, got up, and turned off the light.

Pausing before walking out the door, she turned back.

Walking over and planting a soft kiss on his hot cheek she whispered,

"Goodnight, Vincent."

Lucrecia softly closed the door behind her, and made her way to the spare bedroom next to Vincent's.

She was angry with Hojo, and had no intention of going anywhere near her room, seeing as it was too close to his. She had no pajamas, so sleeping in her long undershirt would have to suffice. As a bathrobe, she always had her lab coat.

As she walked into the room and started undressing, she giggled again at the thought of Vincent's sometimes childlike helplessness. Of course, this side of him wasn't shown often.

She blushed in spite of herself. Vincent was an extremely handsome man, and well built at that. She'd seen it when she had brought him back and undressed him. Luckily for her, he'd had boxer shorts on underneath his Turk uniform. Or perhaps that was unlucky……….she blushed an even deeper shade of red.

Besides that, he was one of the most polite, caring and selfless individuals she had ever met. Not at all like the other Turks she'd met in Midgar. No. He was different. Constantly the gentleman, he treated her with respect and dignity. Just like his father. A lump formed in her throat at the thought.

But what was she thinking? The girls in Midgar probably couldn't leave Vincent alone. He was bound to already have a special someone. Why would he be interested in a geeky bookworm like her? She didn't consider herself at all beautiful, but not the opposite either. She thought she was rather plain, and perhaps uninteresting.

Sighing, she undid the ribbons from her long, amber colored hair. It flowed down to the small of her back. She smiled. It was her pride and joy. The only thing she found beautiful about herself. And the only reminder she had of her mother, who had had the exact same amber mane. She bit back a sob. How she missed her parents. Both her father and her mother had been killed when a hoard of bloodthirsty monsters had invaded their small village. She had been fifteen years old. Sometimes she wondered if it would have been easier had she been younger. Maybe she wouldn't have remembered as much about that horrible day.

With nowhere else to go, she had moved to Midgar. It had pained her to live in the slums. She had always wanted to achieve goals in life. Science had interested her since she was a young child, not to mention she had been the brightest student in her class. So she written an application for a Shinra program called Young Aspiring Scientists, and, to her great joy, had been accepted. She had given it her all, partially because she had wanted to get somewhere in life, and also because science fascinated her. She passed the entrance exam with such honors, that she had been offered a dorm in the living quarters of the Shinra Power Company University in the upscale area of Midgar. There, she had begun to study, specializing in biotechnology. Due to her high level of intelligence and enthusiasm, she had quickly climbed the ranks, and had graduated at the top of her class, soon becoming a Class A scientist.

She had found particular interest in the Chronicles of Yore, written by the Ancients. There, it stated that once the Planet neared it's inevitable end, it would call forth Omega, "the end". This great creation would gather all life forms, and embark on a journey through the stars, leaving the former planet crumbling and useless, all forms of life known as of now being extinguished. The demon Chaos, Omega's squire, who resided sleeping, somewhere on the Planet, would be important to the process as well and she vowed to find him. This however, was held by all other scientists for a farce and a legend. But she was determined to prove them wrong. She'd written countless essays and an elaborate thesis, none of which anyone took seriously. So far-fetched were the propositions in her research, that her work on the subject was never even submitted to the Shinra Information Database.

Now being a full-fledged scientist, she had worked as an assitant to Vincent's father, Dr. Grimoire Valentine, who had been the only one to support her thesis and experiments. They had ultimately discovered the location of the dormant Chaos, and Vincent's father had also found materia that seemed to be a type of refined anti-matter that had formed within the grotto over the past several millennia. The both of them thought to be, perhaps, a means of controlling the destructive Chaos. Taking samples of what Grimoire believed were deposits of contaminated bioplasma that had overflown from the pure lifestream, she had over-confidently experimented with them in her lab.

She had been working one day, Grimoire looking over her shoulder, when suddenly the tube where she had been keeping her Chaos experiment in, exploded. To protect her from being hit by the potentially dangerous shadow-like tendrils, Grimoire had pushed her out of the way, and had been hit himself. She had thought he would be all right at first, but as it turned out, he had been mortally wounded.

He had returned to the Planet in her arms that day, begging her to tell his son that he was sorry.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks. It had been her fault. If she hadn't foolishly pushed forward so quickly with the experiments in her excitement, his death could have been prevented. If only she had been more careful……..

She had been more than a little shocked when Shinra sent Grimoire's son, Vincent to be her bodyguard on the Jenova Project. She had known it was his son even before he had said his name. It was his eyes that had given him away. The mixed crimson and deep, wine-red must run in the Valentine family, for he and his late father shared them almost down to the exact detail.

At first she had held back. Filled with shame every time she looked into his eyes, at the fact that his son was now here protecting her, not knowing what had happened to his father all those years ago. The guilt and remorse had practically eaten her up inside. She couldn't tell him. But now, she also couldn't get away from him.

To make matters worse, he was just as shy as she, but all the same respectful, caring and polite. She had fallen for him before she even knew what was happening. The guilt had seemed to ebb a bit, and she had come out of her shell, and he out of his. Throughout the months, they had become the best of friends, and she had become her old, enthusiastic self again. She still felt indescribable guilt about Grimoire, and she still hadn't told Vincent about it, but she had a different mindset now.

If she hadn't been able to protect Grimoire, she would make sure that she would give Vincent all the loving care that she could muster. It was ironic in a way. He was her bodyguard, yet she also pledged to protect him. She hoped she could one day work up the courage to tell him about what happened to his father, and that he wouldn't hate her for it.

She flopped unceremoniously onto the bed, wiping the last lone tear off her cheek. It was seldom that she had the time to reflect so thoroughly on her life. Working on this so-called Jenova project had been taking up all of her time. But she didn't mind. It was her passion, after all.

Realizing how tired she was, her eyes began to drop shut. Carrying Vincent back to the manor had not proved to be an easy task. He was by no means overweight, but he was muscular. Her arms ached just thinking about it.

So with the thought of Vincent's rare, quiet smile in her mind, she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Heh, sorry Kysic. It got a little complicated there, what with the entire explanation about Lucrecia's past. I hope to God I didn't screw up on it. I'm not going to beg for reviews, but I'd really like to know if I missed anything, or have made any mistakes. Thank you all and cheers! 


	5. Winter Wonderland

Hi all! Thanks for the "build up" reviews. I love questions and constructive critiscism. It helps me better my writing lots. And also, thank you so much to all the people that tried to semd links for DoC scripts. None of thme worked, except for Bjanik's, who sent it to me via e-mail on not through a review. Also, thank you to the links that were typed out, such as vincent-valentine...etc, etc, etc.

Oh right. I got a statemnt regarding Vincent's eye colour. I mean, when I first saw him as a Turk, I could have sworn his eyes were dark red. but now that I think about it (thanks for occupying me with this subject, Bjanik), it did seem that there was some brown in them. I guess I had just missed it before. I'd kinda peg his eyes as burgundy, perhaps.

So enough of the boring forwords. On with the story.

Cheers!

Kyyrin

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Vincent awoke with a start, sweating, shivering and uncomfortable. He felt panic rise in his chest.

He'd had a horrible nightmare of the day his mother, Valeya Valentine, had died.

Involuntary, hot tears began to stream down his cheeks. She'd lost the battle to an incurable illness, and wasted away right before his eyes. He had been powerless to save her, being only seven years old. It was a false mindset that many people had, thinking that the younger one was, the less one remembered traumatic experiences in one's lifetime.

He had been in more emotional pain during those horrible months, than he thought any soul could endure. Afterwards, he had distanced and withdrawn himself from the rest of the world. He'd become quieter and shy, a faded shadow of the energetic young boy he had once been. The only person he had opened up to was his father. They had grieved together, and it had strengthened their relationship. But now he too was……………

Vincent's body heaved with sobs and fevered shivers.

If it wasn't enough that his mother had died, his father had then died too, thirteen years later, due to some mysterious cause that even he, his father's last living relative, wasn't told of.

He had been heartbroken both times. And he still was. It was so hard to love, because for him, it always ended in hurt and anguish.

* * *

Lucrecia awoke to the sound of muffled, heart wrenching sobs coming from the direction of Vincent's room. 

Surprised, she blinked the sleep out of her eyes and looked at the clock. Eleven am.

She had had five hours of sleep, as had he. Much too short for a man that had been so sleep deprived lately. She had hoped he would have slept longer. It would have been good for him.

Wondering what could possibly be wrong that Vincent was so distraught, she sat up, pulled on her lab coat, slipped on her shoes and tied her hair back up. Moving quickly towards the door, she opened it and practically ran to his room, pushing the door open slowly.

There, she was met by a sight that nearly tore her heart to pieces.

Vincent was curled up in a ball on his bed, sobbing uncontrollably. She noted that he was drenched in sweat and shivering mercilessly, not at all coherent or aware of his surroundings. Realization dawned on her. His fever was so high that he must have had an extremely realistic nightmare to put him in this state.

He needed to be comforted. He needed to know he was safe.

She ran to the bathroom and wet a cloth, then rushed over to him, crawled onto the bed, and pulled his shaking figure into her arms, just as she remembered her mother doing to her when she was young.

"Shhhhhhh, Vincent…….you're safe…..it's all over now…….it's alright…..shhhhhhhhh", she soothed, rocking him back and forth as one would comfort a child, settling him so that she could place the cold compress on his burning forehead.

"Mother……", he moaned weakly through sobs.

Lucrecia's eyes filled with tears. Poor Vincent. She remembered him telling her that he had lost his mother to an illness when he was seven. He must miss her horribly.

"And then, in my carelessness, I robbed him of his father as well", she thought to herself as tears once again began to travel down her cheeks. She swallowed the lump of guilt in her throat.

She knew she had been wrong in thinking that being younger helped one forget traumatic experiences easier. Vincent was the proof.

They sat there, entwined. Her arms wrapped around him protectively, stroking his back, and him clinging onto her for dear life, weeping as the fever raged through his body.

"I shouldn't have left him alone," she thought guiltily. "It would have been better I stayed with him while the fever ran its course."

Time passed. Seconds. Minutes. Hours. She wasn't sure how long.

Slowly but surely, she felt the shaking lessen, and the sobs abate slowly.

The fever had broken.

She looked down and found that he had fallen into a deep slumber, one she was sure he was in need of.

She carefully laid him back down onto the bed, frowning at the now sweat and tear drenched pajamas he wore.

Well, there was nothing left to do but change him. She went red at the thought, but she'd get through it. She didn't want him catching his death because she had been too embarrassed to change his clothes.

She moved quietly to his closet and looked inside, searching until she found what she was looking for. A fresh pair of pajama's, knee-length boxer shorts, and a pair of warm, woolen socks. The socks were a precaution. She had made note of the fact that heating was sparse in the manor, and wing in which Vincent's room was located had the least of it. It was near to downright freezing in here. No wonder he had gotten sick. Frowning slightly, she made a mental note to ask Hojo for permission to have the heat turned up in the wing. She had the odd, wrenching feeling that he had kept it turned down purposely.

Hurrying to his side, she undressed him, and, out of complete respect to the man, looked away as best she could when the time came to change his undergarments. Finishing off, all the while blushing furiously, she realized she would have to change the sweat-drenched sheets too. Not wanting to wake him from his much-needed slumber, she carefully removed the sheets and pillowcase from beneath his sleeping form, and switched them with new ones she had found in one of the drawers.

Settling him back down on the now dry pillows, she pulled two fresh blankets over him and pulled the blinds on the windows till the room was comfortably dark enough to sleep in. Despite it now being one pm, she would let him sleep as long as he needed too.

In fact, sleep sounded like a good idea. She hadn't been getting too much of it herself lately. Making the quick decision to return to her room and lie down, she stole one more quick glance at Vincent before slipping out the door.

He looked so at peace now. His features were free of the pain and anguish he had marred them earlier. She smiled softly, and shut the door.

* * *

Both Vincent and Lucrecia, tired as they were, slept all through that day, and into the morning of the next, Lucrecia waking only now and then to get something to eat or drink and to check on Vincent. By now, it was Wednesday. 

Lucrecia had woken at eight, deciding that as much as Vincent needed sleep, he also needed nourishment to keep strength up, and his dizzy spells from returning.

She vowed to make breakfast, and rouse him only once she was completely finished.

Making her way down to the kitchen, she paused at on of the hallway windows to stare in awe at the scenery outside.

It had snowed more overnight, and the entirety of the vast gardens that made up the front yard of the Shinra manor had been adorned with a blissful blanket of white. It sparkled invitingly as the pale December sun shone in the sky.

Lucrecia hesitated. What she wouldn't give to go out for a walk in the snow right now. Everything outside seemed so peaceful and quiet, that it made her feel completely at ease. But she shook the thoughts. It would have to wait.

With Vincent being as ill as he was, she couldn't allow herself to leave him alone long, for the fear that Hojo might decide to think up another devious plan to make him suffer.

Her hands curled up into fists. Planet, how she hated that man at the moment. He was being nothing but a nuisance to Vincent and herself, treating both of them unfairly.

She threw one last look of longing out the window, and continued to the kitchen. She would find all the time in the world to walk in the snow after Vincent recovered. Hell, she'd take him with her. It would be good for him to get out more, as long as he was bundled up warmly. She had noticed that he didn't have a toque. There was nothing left to but to get him one, seeing as the man was already too busy for his own good. Perhaps as a Christmas present………being of humble nature, Vincent would probably never accept it otherwise.

Stepping inside the empty kitchen, she thoughtfully looked around, pondering what to prepare for them both. She would have to take into consideration that Vincent had a painfully sore throat. Broth with a bit of chicken and some vegetables in it didn't sound like a bad idea, even for her. It was breakfast time, but who would care?

Humming softly to herself, she worked away at making the soup. Once finished, she prepared two cups of tea with lemon and honey, and set them on the tray next to the bowls of soup. Walking over to the cupboards, she took out a glass and filled it with cool water. She pulled out a bottle of cold and flu tablets from the pocket of her lab coat. Opening the bottle, she took out two and placed them on the tablet beside the glass of water. She hated feeding anyone pills, but these would help Vincent recover quickly, and keep his fever from returning.

Lifting the tray, she made her way back upstairs, balancing it on one arm as she opened the door to Vincent's room.

He lay there, as peacefully as he had the last time she'd checked. Almost unwilling to wake him, she walked quietly to his bedside, and set the tray down on his night table. Moving to the window, she pulled the blinds back, and daylight returned to the formerly dark room. Strolling back and picking up a handkerchief from the pile at his bedside, she carefully sat down on the edge of his bed.

Lifting her hand, she began to stroke the stray strands of jet-black hair out of his face.

"Vincent……..Vincent! Rise and shine……time to wake up!"

He stirred slowly. Red eyes opened, squinting at the light, and trying to focus blearily. Weakly lifting a hand, he rubbed his face, and then met Lucrecia's eyes.

Tired crimson met sympathetic hazel. They looked at each other almost lovingly for a moment, neither wanting to look away.

Vincent felt a tingling in his nose, and realized that even though the throbbing headache had vanished, his sinuses now felt more stuffed up than ever. He grimaced. What, Valentine? Did you expect yourself to heal overnight?

The tingling feeling escalated and Vincent buried his face into his pillows, letting out a series of harsh, wet sneezes.

"Excuse be", he muttered in a low, congested voice.

"Well good morning to you too, sleepy head", Lucrecia chirped, as she shoved the handkerchief she had been holding directly into Vincent's face.

"That's quite a nasty cold you've caught there!", she chided, surveying his running, red nose and watery eyes. "But it'll get better with plenty of rest and good care."

As Vincent used the handkerchief to blow his running nose, he remembered the only, embarrassing occasion where he had felt this awful.

He had been in Midgar, in the middle of his Turk training. They had been doing rigorous exercises outdoors in the winter, and he'd caught a vicious cold. But he had decided to stick it out alone, like all Turks were expected to do. That decision ended in him being taken to the med ward because he'd collapsed during sharpshooter training. It had taken him ages to get rid of the label "weakling". He had vowed never to get sick again, and if, he would be strong enough to handle it himself.

However, he had failed once again, and was completely ashamed of himself, not aware that he was letting it show.

"Don't."

He looked up at her, confused.

"Whad?", he muttered congestedly.

"I said don't. Don't you dare feel ashamed for being in this condition, Vincent Valentine".

Their eyes locked again. Weakened, shameful crimson, into fiery, defiant brown.

"Lucrecia….."

"No! You're a normal person, and getting sick is normal. It happens, Vincent, although I'm surprised you haven't caught pneumonia sleeping in this ice-box of a room!", she remarked sternly.

This time he avoided her eyes. He had to agree; it was terribly cold in here during the winter months. There had been times where he had gone to bed wearing two sweaters and a pair of sweats on top of his pajamas, along with the pair of woolen socks he realized he was wearing now. But he had never questioned it. It wasn't his place to ask why there was no heating in his room. He had assumed Shinra just wanted to save money that they didn't need anyways.

Lucrecia eyed him worriedly.

"I'm going to bring you a portable heater to use, until I can convince Hojo to turn the heat up in here", she stated, rubbing her arms against the cold.

Ah. So that was it. He cursed himself for not realizing it before. Hojo was increasing his torment by shutting off the heating in his room. He should have known.

Sneezing again, this time into the handkerchief. He noted that the hot cold feeling had disappeared with the headache, but the sore throat, coughing and stuffiness had escalated.

"Well, you know the old saying, I suppose", Lucrecia continued. "Feed a cold, starve a fever! And if I'm correct……", she brought a hand up to feel his forehead, and, satisfied that it was at a normal temperature, went on. "……you're fever broke sometime around noon yesterday."

He breathed a short sigh of relief. He only remembered waking up sobbing and shivering after having a nightmare about the day his mother died. Never did he want to go through that again. The memories were too painful.

Lucrecia reached for the tray on his night table, but not before helping him into a sitting position. She placed the tablet onto his lap, taking her bowl of soup and cup of tea off first.

Sipping her tea slowly, and watching Vincent tentatively eat his soup, she decided now would be a good time to go hunt for a portable heater. She remembered receiving one from a friend of hers before she had left Midgar. She would check her room, now that Hojo was most likely hard at work in his lab. Eating her soup as well, and finishing off the tea, Lucrecia turned to Vincent with a smile on her face.

"Vincent, I'm going to go search for that portable heater I mentioned earlier. It'll warm this place up and make you more comfortable, alright?"

He looked up from his tea, and nodded slowly.

"And remember to take the pills when you're done. They'll do wonders for you", she said before walking out the door and shutting it behind her to keep in any bit of warmth that the ice-cold room had acquired.

Vincent finished his tea, and took the pills carefully, sighing in pain when they passed down his raw throat. Realizing that he badly needed to take a trip to the men's room, he crawled out from under his covers, and slowly got out of bed.

Pleased that his dizziness had vanished, he still shivered at the frigid temperatures in the small room, noting that he could almost see his breath. Lucrecia had been right. He had stopped paying much attention to it, but he now noticed it was near to downright freezing in the place.

Realizing that a hot shower might do the trick, he headed for the bathroom. The steam might clear up his clogged sinuses as well.

Sighing as the tingling in his nose returned with a vengeance, he quickly pulled out his handkerchief and sneezed violently into it several times. Yep. Definitely time for a shower.

Fifteen minutes later, he finished and pulled on a warm bathrobe over a fresh pair of pajamas and warm socks, feeling slightly better. Slipping into his house shoes, he walked to the window, curiously wondering how much it had snowed in the past days.

The sight that met his eyes was dazzling. The snow had transformed the usually dreary manor gardens into a winter wonderland. So at awe was he with the view, that he pulled up a chair and sat down on it, staring at the beautiful sight. He loved snow. Winter had to be his favorite season. How he longed to take a stroll in the wintry paradise right now. But in his current condition, he doubted Lucrecia would even be happy that he had gotten up to shower, let alone taken a walk in the snow.

He'd be healthy again soon enough. Then he'd walk in the snow as long as he wanted. Perhaps he'd even work up the courage to ask Lucrecia to accompany him. He continued to stare dreamily out the window, thinking of her.

* * *

Hope that was to all of your guys' liking. Cya in the next chapter! 


	6. Warmth

Hope you're all well and thank you for the reviews! I'm not going for a long authors note today, but that'll come sometime.

Cheers and Enjoy!

Kyyrin

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**Chapter Six**

Lucrecia left Vincent, collected her clothes from the spare room, and made her way to her own quarters, in the warmer, more upscale part of the manor.

As she walked down the hall, she considered bringing Vincent up to her room. The warmth here would no doubt do him good. But she dismissed the idea quickly. Her room was probably too close to Hojo for Vincent's comfort.

Nearing her door, she saw a small note attached to the doorknob. She recognized the scrawl from afar.

Lucrecia,

Can we talk?

-Hojo

Anger burned inside her. She ripped the note off the knob, threw open the door to her room, and chucked the now crumpled piece of paper into the nearest trashcan, slamming the door behind her.

"No, Hojo, we can't talk", she thought bitterly. "What you did to both Vincent and myself was beyond cruel, and I don't think I'm ready to forgive you just yet."

Taking in the scent of her clean room, she eyed her soft bed. It looked inviting after sleeping on the hard mattress last night. She shook the thought, vaguely wondering if Vincent's mattress was just as hard, and began her search for the heater. Five minutes later, she found said appliance in the corner of her closet, covered in a layer of dust. She knew her friend had meant well, but her room was always comfortably warm and she hadn't needed it once.

Cleaning the dust off the heater, she set it to the side, and decided to take a shower. She felt dirty from sleeping on the grimy spare bed in her undershirt.

Finishing soon afterwards, she picked out some warm clothes to wear. These consisted of a colorfully knitted turtleneck, and a pair of fleecy training pants, along with her own pair of woolen socks and warm slippers. She grabbed a small bag, and filled it with her bathrobe, a towel, a pair of warm pajamas, some extra clothing pieces and her necessary hygienic items. If she was going to care for Vincent, she might as well just stay in the spare room next to him.

Picking up the heater, she left, remembering to lock the door behind her. On the way back to Vincent's room, she paused again to admire the beautiful scene outside.

Stopping in front of his door, she knocked a few times.

"Cobe id", came the completely congested reply.

She opened the door and a rush of cold air met her body, making her shiver despite the warm clothing. Greeting her was a sight that bordered on amazing.

She had never seen that expression on Vincent's face.

It was a relaxed, happy look, as if he were at peace with the whole world. He was sitting on a chair beside his window gazing out at the snow in wonder, like a small child.

The sight brought a smile to her face. It was rare that she saw Vincent so carefree. He turned around and gave her the surprise of her life. A real, genuine smile, that seemed to come from the bottom of his heart.

"Hi", he stated, grinning a little more at her awed expression. "Whad? You've never seed be smile before?"

She couldn't say she hadn't, because she had, but none as genuine as the one he was giving her now. So she gave him a glowing smile back.

"It's good to see you smiling, Vincent! You must be feeling better!", she stated, making her way over to him.

"Well, a bit, I guess", he croaked, and then relented. "OK………not really...very much."

"It'll get better with time. I promise", she chided, stopping in front of him, and looking him up and down.

She suddenly realized that his hair was sopping wet. He must have taken a shower. In these freezing temperatures, wet hair was almost equivalent to a death sentence for Vincent's already weakened immune system. Didn't he know what a hair-dryer was? Letting out a sigh of frustration, she frowned at him. Men. Sometimes they were completely ignorant.

He noticed her disapproving frown.

"Whad now?", he inquired, looking slightly abashed.

His eyes followed her as she walked to the bathroom, and came back holding a dry towel, which she proceeded to throw unceremoniously onto his wet hair.

Crossing her arms, she stated, "I think I need to teach you how to care for yourself, Mr. Valentine. Need I remind you that you're already sick, and sitting in the biting cold with sopping wet hair isn't going to help you get better?"

He stared at her with a rather guilty expression, and then sneezed abruptly almost as if to prove her point.

"Back in bed with you", Lucrecia ordered gently. "And I suggest you stay there until you're completely recovered."

Vincent relented and got up, drying his hair with the towel before crawling back under the covers. He started to feel sleepy again. Struggling to look up at Lucrecia, he felt her gently stroke his damp hair.

"Sleep. It'll be good for you. I'll go turn the heater on".

With that, she stood and plugged the heater into the nearest power outlet, turning it up full blast. She sighed with relief as it began to radiate much needed heat.

Looking back at Vincent, she found that he was already fast asleep, snoring slightly.

That was good. He would need a lot of rest to keep his strength up.

And deciding that a nap wouldn't be a bad idea, she headed back to the spare room.

* * *

Short, sweet. Well, there should be another one or two chapters coming, and then it's on with the sequel to Treading the Edge.I'm excited... Cheers! 


	7. Memories

Hello again! That took a while, I know. I will explain why in the second chapter of 'Reqiuem'.

Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the wait!

Cheers!

Kyyrin

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**Chapter Seven**

The following days rushed by, as Lucrecia lovingly nursed Vincent back to health.

He regained his strength quickly. The extra sleep had done him good.

Outside, the wintry weather continued. It snowed more than ever the rest of that week, which lifted the spirits of both Vincent and Lucrecia each longingly staring at the scene outside, wishing they could go out and enjoy it.

Now, besides a rather nasty cough and the lingering cold, Vincent was practically healed. He no longer suffered dizzy spells, his sore throat had vanished, and his fever hadn't returned. Though he was still bed-ridden by orders of Lucrecia, made the most of it by doing paperwork in his room. He longed to get back to work, and was glad when Monday of the following week finally came around.

Vincent awoke that morning, refreshed and almost healthy. Rubbing his still bright red nose with the back of his hand, he decided that today would be good to go to work. He was practically healed, save for the coughing and sneezing. It was a bit bothersome, but not too much. After all, he didn't want to get Lucrecia in any more trouble with Hojo, and she seemed eager to return to her lab.

He got up and stretched. Being an early riser, he decided he would go tell Lucrecia that she could come to work today. He showered, and dressed, making sure to wrap a scarf around his neck and tuck a sufficient amount of handkerchiefs into his backpack.

Hoisting his luggage, he headed in the direction of Lucrecia's quarters holding one of the soft cloths to his nose. It had begun to run again after the shower, and even a sufficient amount of sniffling and rubbing wouldn't stem the flow. Well, there were just some things you had to live with.

He looked around warily as he walked, attempting to make sure that Hojo didn't jump out of nowhere. Vincent had hated Hojo from the moment he had laid eyes on the man, and had then become painfully aware that Hojo returned that loathing with a vicious one of his own. Vincent didn't know why. He hadn't done anything to make Hojo hate him, but when he had first met the scientist, his cruel eyes and sarcastic, merciless nature already moved him to Vincent's list of people he disliked. And after the past week, Hojo had moved from the fervent dislike list to the loathing with a passion list quite speedily.

He would never forgive Hojo for making Lucrecia cry.

Reaching said scientist's door, he paused before knocking. Being a shy man by nature, especially when it came to women, Vincent began to feel as if he were intruding on Lucrecia's privacy. She had done so much for him. Too much for him. But he had to tell her she could go back to work. Working up the courage, he knocked several times.

He heard the sound of a chair being pushed back, a padding of feet, and finally the door opened.

Staring at him was a beautiful, but rather surprised looking Lucrecia, still in her night gown. Looking him up and down, she settled for gazing at his face and frowning slightly at him before speaking.

"Vincent? What on earth are you doing up? I thought I told you to…….", she trailed off when she noticed his Turk uniform and backpack. Quirking an eyebrow, she stated, "Why don't you come in?", before opening the door wider.

"What? Oh there's no need, Dr. Cre------, I mean Lucrecia. I just wanted to tell you that you can go back to work. I'm feeling better, so there's no need for you to stay up here all day and-----", he was cut short as a powerful sneeze nearly knocked him to the ground. Sniffling wetly and wiping his tortured nose, he looked at her expectantly.

Lucrecia's now surprised expression changed to one of amusement, and then to that of concern in quite a short time span. Grabbing Vincent by the arm, she all but pulled him into her room, and guided him to sit down. Hands on her hips, she looked down at the sniffling Turk with an expression of mock irritation written across her face.

"I don't think so, Mr. Valentine", she chided sternly, looking into his beautiful crimson eyes. "My comfort is of **no** concern at the moment. You will go back to work when all your symptoms **including** the coughing and sneezing are gone. Have I made myself clear?"

Vincent stared at her.

"B-But, Lucrecia. I'm fine! You want to go back to work, don't you? And so do I. Besides, Hojo said-----"

He broke off his sentence rather quickly when he realized that the mock irritation on Lucrecia's face had changed to suppressed anger.

"Vincent Valentine, I don't give a **damn** what Hojo said! Fact is that a few days ago, you could barely even walk without assistance. And now you're sitting here, sneezing pathetically and begging me to go to work? Didn't my care mean **anything** to you?"

Lucrecia bit back a gasp at what she'd just said. She shouldn't have pushed it that far. This was the second time she had let her temper get the better of her. Vincent was just concerned for her well being, as she was for his. She shouldn't have snapped at him like that.

Vincent looked away sadly, and got up, walking towards the door.

"I-I'm sorry, Doctor. My mistake. Your care means the world to me. It wasn't my intention to force anything onto you. It was selfish. Forgive me……..", he trailed off, realizing he had just revealed some of his private feelings to her. Gulping, and blushing furiously, he hurried towards the door.

Lucrecia's eyes went wide. She meant that much to him? But, she had thought he wasn't interested. She had thought………..well, maybe she did have a chance with him after all. Catching up to him, she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, hugging him tightly.

"Vincent, don't go. I'm sorry. That was rude of me. You only care for my well being as I do for yours. I'm only asking you to allow yourself a few more days of rest and relaxation. It would do you good. You were so sick last week I was afraid I might…lose you. You mean too much to me for that to happen. Please, Vincent. Work can wait. You're…….more important to me than that…….", she trailed off, hugging him tighter, as if afraid he would vanish before her eyes.

Vincent stiffened noticeably at her affection. Not that he didn't welcome it, but he wasn't used to it at all. It had been years since someone had hugged him. Should he hug her back?

Relaxing, and turning in her arms, he timidly wrapped his own around her. He found the embrace to be……nice. Maybe there was hope of her returning his affections.

"It's……alright, Lucrecia. I guess I'm just a little…….bored", he murmured, fully aware of how stupid it sounded. But it was true. He was hopelessly bored. Work would have at least given him something to do.

Without breaking the embrace, she looked up at him, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Bored? You're bored? Well I think I can fix that………"

Feeling his forehead again, and straightening up a bit, she walked over to her closet, opened it up, and pulled something out, hiding it behind her back. Walking back to him, eyes ever twinkling, she voiced her idea.

"So Vincent. If you're….bored, I suggest we go for a walk in the snow!"

Vincent gaped at her. She was **not** being serious, was she?

Apparently she was.

"I know, I know. Lucrecia logic, I guess", she continued, mischievous smile widening. "I know that it's completely **illogical** to tell you that you can't go to work, and that you can go outside instead. But……."

She giggled once more at the look on her bodyguards face. It was just so priceless.

"At least you won't be pushing yourself overboard. The fresh mountain air would really do you good. And….", she took on a somber tone. "…..And we'll be far away from Hojo and any other cruel tasks he'll think up for you……If we go to work, there's the chance he'll come in and force you to run yourself to the ground. You're not fully recovered yet, Vincent. I don't think I could bear it if he pushed you into another hike in your condition…….", she looked up at him, eyes pleading with him to understand.

A period of silence followed, Lucrecia staring at Vincent hopefully, and him seemingly deep in thought.

He wanted to go out in the snow so badly but………

Lucrecia cocked an eyebrow. She could she that Vincent was arguing with himself over whether to take up her offer or not. Well, if he couldn't decide, she'd have to help him along.

"Mr. Valentine, I do believe that the job description I received from the Shinra states that you are **my** bodyguard, not Hojo's, and that you are to protect your charge from any harm, or possibly harmful situations. And if** I** decide to go out walking in the snow, you had better come with me and protect me from any nasty monsters that might decide that I'd make a good meal. And that's an order!", Lucrecia finished triumphantly, crossing her arms and daring him to protest.

Vincent gulped, and stood staring at her with his mouth hanging slightly open. He processed what she had said. She was right. In fact, she had just ordered him to protect her, and he had to follow orders, so he was forced to oblige. And it wasn't like he didn't want to go. Actually, he did very much.

Sighing, he relented.

"Alright, alright. I'll come", he cracked a smile before he could help himself, and looked his charge up and down. "But I think…….you'd make more of an appetizer for any monster than a real meal….."

Lucrecia's melodious laugh drifted through the room once more, and she walked up to stand in front of him.

"If you come, then I won't be on their menu. But you can only go outside under one condition", from behind her back, she pulled out a warm looking toque, that looked like it had seen several years pass. She had endlessly debated over whether to just buy Vincent a new one, or present him with this. The toque had belonged to a dear friend of hers, Shey that had also perished in the massacre of her hometown. It had been his trademark, his favorite hat. She had been devastated to only find an item of clothing of his, and not his body. Tears came to her eyes just thinking about it. Vincent reminded her so much of her friend that she sometimes wondered if they had been related.

But no. Although Vincent bore similarities to Shey, the where qualities he had that attracted her to him far more than her friend could ever have. Shey hadn't been as quiet and shy as Vincent, and by far not as polite. Not to mention that Vincent was a tad better looking…….

"Lucrecia? Are you alright?", came Vincent's gentle voice. "What's that?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. Just reminiscing, I guess. Here", she pushed the oft object into his hands, watching in amusement as he examined the object thoroughly.

"Well? What do you say? I'm not letting you outside without it, Vincent. It's a precaution, so I want you as bundled up as possible", she looked at him hopefully, praying that he wouldn't change his mind because she was forcing him to wear a toque.

Minutes passed, and finally, a kind smile crossed Vincent's features.

"Hm. I knew there would be a catch", he chuckled softly, looking into her eyes. "Of course I'll wear it."

Lucrecia giggled happily.

"Well Vincent, it just so happens that you will not only wear it every time you step outside, you will also keep it. It's yours. You can view it as an……early Christmas present", looking at his humble expression, she continued.

"Vincent, I'm **not **taking no for an answer. Understood? Catching another cold isn't an option…….."

Vincent paused, and then slowly nodded his head.

"I understand, Lucrecia. And……thank you", he voiced sincerely. Whoever had owned this item of clothing before Lucrecia, must have meant a lot to her. He had deduced that from watching her face when she had handed it to him. She had been on the verge of tears. But he wouldn't push it. If she wanted to speak to someone about it, she would. He knew her quite well.

"So what are you waiting for? Go change!", came Lucrecia's enthusiastic voice. She gently grabbed his arms and pushed him towards the door. "I'll wait for you in the entrance hall. No go! And remember, Vincent. Warm clothes!"

With that, she pushed him completely out of the room, and leaned with her back against the inside of the door.

A happy smile spread across Lucrecia's features.

Who would have thought?

She had fallen in love with her bodyguard.

* * *

And there'll be one last chapter to this one...hope you all enjoyed it! 


	8. Confessions

**Chapter Eight**

Vincent cautiously made his way down the stairs that led to the entrance hall, all the while wondering if this was for real. He hadn't actually dared to believe that Lucrecia had feelings for him. But she did, evidently.

And it would be a lie to say he wasn't looking forward to their walk through the snow, because he was. Very, very much.

He'd taken the toque, but hadn't put it on quite yet, intent on asking Lucrecia who it's previous owner had been. She had seemed quite attached to the warm, fleecy item, and Vincent didn't by any means want for her to part with something she held dear. It hurt him to see her sad.

Rounding the corner, he walked towards the entrance doors of the manor. In front of him stood a bundled up Lucrecia, glowing smile lighting up her face. Vincent instantly forgot any questions he had meant to ask her, and walked slowly towards her, marveling at her beauty. He thought fleetingly why such an intelligent, attractive women would want to have anything to do with him. Sure, he wasn't your average Turk, a womanizer and a killer. Well………..he **was** a killer. He had killed many people in his ten years working for the Shinra. Some deaths, he had deeply regretted, but others……he just…..he just hadn't thought much of it. It was the way he had been trained. Cold and heartless. But something inside him wouldn't conform to that standard. He just……couldn't.

And now, seeing Lucrecia in front of him, he was glad he hadn't. He was glad he'd stayed nice. At least for her.

"Hi Vincent!", she greeted him brightly, and then, to his utmost surprise, enveloping him in a gentle hug.

"I'm so happy you came! Shall we?"

She looked at him expectantly, and he nodded, extending his arm out for her to take. She did, and they walked through the doors and into the magical winter scenery outside.

It was breathtaking.

The thick blanket of snow that had settled over the grounds of the Shinra manor over that past week sparkled in the pale sunshine. It seemed that no one working inside the manor had been outside lately, so the fresh snow was untainted by any human footprints, save those of a lone creature.

They had walked halfway across the grounds, arm in arm, until Lucrecia stopped and turned to face him.

"Vincent? Why aren't you wearing the toque?", she inquired curiously, looking down at the item he still held in his free hand. Her eyes settled back onto his face, studying him intently.

"I….Oh, my apologies", Vincent stammered, now aware that he had forgotten to put it on. Then he remembered what he had wanted to ask her.

"But…..Lucrecia. I saw your reaction when you gave this to me. It must have belonged to someone……..you cared for dearly. Are you sure you want to……give it to me? I mean, I don't think I'm nearly as important as--------"

He was hushed when Lucrecia put a gentle finger to his lips, signaling for him to be silent. Vincent gave her a confused look, but stopped talking.

"Vincent. Please. Please don't finish that sentence. Yes, this toque belonged to someone I care for very much, but……..", she stared down at the object lovingly, reminiscing old times. Oh Shey. What she wouldn't give to see him again. But…..her feelings for Shey were no match for those she had for Vincent.

"……But I believe….you've grown on me more than Shey could have ever managed", she trailed off, suddenly realizing that she had spoken her deceased friend's name out loud. Blushing a bit, she averted her eyes and gazed at the sparkling snow. Now she'd have to explain it to Vincent.

"Who is…Shey?", Vincent probed gently, hoping she'd open up to him a bit. He knew near to nothing of her past, even though they had known each other long. He found his past to be uninteresting and dull, but he was quite interested in hers.

"Shey…..", Lucrecia started, beginning to walk again, Vincent matching her pace. "…..Was my best friend. We spent all our free time together. He treated me as if I was the most precious person on the face of the Planet, and I returned the kind treatment by loving him as the brother I never had. We were never romantically involved, but……….as we grew older, I could sense that he wanted me to be more for him than just a childhood friend. But…..I didn't feel the same way for him. And in the end, he realized it and didn't push it……..so we stayed best friends, even though he knew that nothing romantic would ever blossom between us."

Vincent hesitated, but then gingerly took her arm back in his, she didn't resist, so he asked a further question.

"Where……is Shey now?"

He instantly regretted asking the question. The look of sadness and sorrow that appeared on Lucrecia's face was almost too much for him to bear.

"He……he's……returned…..to the Planet", Lucrecia murmured softly, fighting to hold back the tears that threatened break through. "Along with……my parents……it was horrible……I was…..fifteen. They were murdered…….right before me eyes……the monsters still haunt me today….."

She didn't know why she was telling Vincent this. It had just all spilled out. She had never told anyone about that fateful day. Neither her friends, nor Hojo knew that her life had been completely destroyed before she had entered university. They all thought she had led a normal life, as an average girl. Vincent was the first to know that that was not how it had been.

And before she knew it, she began to sob. All the pain and terrors of her past becoming too much for her to bear. She had longed for someone to reach out too, but had never dreamed it would be Vincent.

In her anguish, Lucrecia felt strong, protective arms wrap around her, and pull her into a warm embrace. She wound her arms around Vincent as well, and clung to him, sobbing her heart out. It felt so good to let all her fear and frustrations go.

Vincent held Lucrecia close to him. Planet knew he felt for her. He really did. They were practically in the same boat. He had lost both his parents as well, and had been devastated just as Lucrecia was. And guilty. Survivors guilt, perhaps. Guilt that he couldn't do anything to prevent their deaths.

"Lucrecia, it's alright. Cry. It will help. I know. I've lost both my parents as well. It took time for me to realize that there was nothing I could have done. Life works in mysterious ways. Experiences like these will make you stronger. Shhhhhh."

Vincent attempted to sooth her, to stop her tears. He liked it so much better when she was happy. It lifted his spirits as well.

"I-I know…..b-but it's just s-so hard……", Lucrecia sobbed into her chest. She knew what Vincent said was true, though it would take time for her to come to terms with it. But perhaps, after this, it would be easier.

She snuggled up against Vincent, feeling protected and loved in his embrace. He cradled her in his arms, whispering soothing words to her. The two of them stood in the snowy wonderland, relying on one another for strength.

Love.

Yes. She felt loved. And she returned that feeling. She loved him back. It was something she hadn't felt when she spent time with Shey. Sure, she had adored him, but it was a love of friends, or perhaps one of siblings. Not this. Never this.

Maybe she should tell him? She **had** made it more than obvious that she had affections for him. Perhaps, her confession would spur him into a confession of his own…….

"Vincent?", she murmured, lifting her head a little to gaze into his gentle, crimson eyes. He looked down at her in return. "I think……I think I….."

"Wait….."

Vincent swallowed, and moved up his hand to guide Lucrecia's head back onto his chest.

Come on, Valentine. Be a man. You can do this. It'll be completely embarrassing to have the lady confess her love to you first. Right? If that's what she was going to do……..he hoped it had been. Because there was no backing down now.

"Lucrecia……", he placed his head on hers, staring at the picturesque mountains in the distance.

"Lucrecia……I……love you".

There. It had come out. He had said it. He had laid his feelings out openly for her, unafraid of rejection. Or perhaps, he was afraid. Trembling slightly, he waited for her to answer.

He felt her stiffen in his arms, and give a small gasp. His heart sank. Perhaps she didn't feel the same way for him after all.

He jumped as a warm, gloved hand reached out and cupped his face.

"Vincent…….."

He waited for the verdict patiently. But how patient could one be?

"…..You stole the words right out of my mouth."

Vincent gulped and looked down at Lucrecia. His Lucrecia. He could call her that now. A relieved smile spread across his features. So he had been right after all.

"I…..I love you too."

He sighed, reveling in those short, four words. He would be lying if he said he hadn't been waiting for her to say them. And now that she had, he was beyond happy.

Lucrecia looked up at Vincent in wonder. She had thought she would have to be the one to initiate this. Vincent was always so shy. She hadn't in the least expected him to confess his love to her without her doing it first. But she was happy it had been the other way around. For now she knew that both felt the same way about each other.

He loved her.

Planet, had it been long since she had heard someone say that to her. Twelve long years without a soul saying that they cherished her. That they cared. She didn't doubt Vincent had waited long as well. Ever since……..

She bit her lip, and the familiar feeling of guilt welled up inside her again. Images of Grimoire filled her mind. It had been her fault. Her fault that Vincent had lost his father. But………gazing at Vincent, his shy smile and trusting character, reaching out for love.

She couldn't let her guilt get in the way now. She'd tell him. Eventually.

Any other day.

But not today.

Because now, she was determined to make this moment last.

**The End**

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Hey everyone! So I decided to write the authors note at the end of the chapter this time. As you guys have probably noticed, I changed the name of this story. That's because the name Thank You For Loving Me was just a random title that popped into my head, with the result that I didn't know how to tie the title to the story in the end. And when I write, I always need to have a title that has something to do with the story, otherwise I don't consider my story to be well written. But that's just me….. 

Anyways…..

Thanks for all the reviews and sorry for making you guys wait so damn long. I know that waiting was probably a pain in the ass and I'm sorry. But I had to wait a bit till new ideas popped into my head. I mean, I had some, but I just didn't get the time to type them all up.

I have a few more Vincent/Lucrecia ideas, and I'll think about posting them if I can manage to elaborate on them.

So thanks for sticking with me, and hope you enjoyed the story!

Cheers!

Kyyrin


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